Review #9 - Bunnahabhain 12 Year
A popular bottle, and we'll be up front here - it's one of our favorites, too.
Contrary to some people's experience, there is some peat in Bunna 12; it's a light influence, though, believed to be between 3 and 4 ppm phenols. Not exactly your typical Islay malt, but this one has earned the respect of many, much like its distillery in general.
Bunnahabhain 12 Year
Scotland/Islay - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 66 (2021)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 65 (2023)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 46.3% ABV
Details: Not chill filtered and no color added
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 10 months; bottles at 60%, 100%, and 70% fill level at times of review. Tasted neat in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Great juicy dark fruits, really these fruits are just jumping out of the glass: raisin, prune juice, a hint of grapes. Some mild to slightly dark chocolate there as well, and some nutmeg and clove, with just a hint of salt; just slight oak, and vanilla and caramel are quite light. The fruits really are the star of the show here, though; there are also sultanas, a touch of orange, acidic prune, and some freeze dried strawberries. Later, just a minute perfume note as well.
Palate: Slightly warm on the palate, and the sherry influence from the casks definitely presents itself up front: slightly more bitter fruit, but still in that general vein of red, orange, and purple dried fruits. It's plum, luxardo cherry, oily raisin, prune. There is still that bit of orange, which is followed by some wood sugars and a stronger oak note, a bit of tannin and astringency; the mouthfeel is medium, and a we end with some light nuttiness.
Finish: The finish is generally medium length, lots of cozy warmth from the sherry, with those prunes, raisins, and dark cherry; those fruits are slightly acidic and dried, and there's even a hint of stone fruit from peach or nectarine at times. It's oily, and there is some lingering oak there, slightly drying, and ends with just a bit of wood char. After one of the tastings, about an hour after finishing the glass, a hint of sweet sherry fruit was still coming back to the palate.
Final Note: The more we come back to this, the more our ratings are trending upward; in another few months, the average ratings on this might be a point higher. It's fantastically rich and fruity, and the tiny peat influence there always adds an interesting dynamic. Natural presentation and good strength are just the cherry on top here. This has held a place on our shelf for a while now, and it's unlikely that it will disappear any time soon.
Our Average Rating: 7.4 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 7.40
